Acute inflammation is good: it’s your body’s natural response to an injury, infection, or other dangers. It’s why you sneeze when exposed to an allergen or your toe swells up when you bang it. It’s part of the healing process.
Sometimes inflammation can spin out of control and become harmful to health. It’s when the inflammation is persistent and rarely shuts off, called low-level, or chronic, inflammation.
The first myth is that chronic inflammation is at the root of many modern illnesses. Well, it is true that inflammation appears alongside with conditions like diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and more, and that controlling it is part of treatment. But inflammation is not necessarily a cause of disease.
In fact, the opposite is likely the case: a condition has led to the chronic inflammation. However, it is true that if inflammation is left unchecked, it will contribute to long-term health problems.
The next myth is that you can feel inflammation. Outside of a few conditions, like rheumatoid arthritis (RA), for example, inflammation does not have a distinct feeling.
People with RA can feel soreness, stiffness, and swelling in their joints. Inflammation is not symptomatic in people with obesity, diabetes, or cardiovascular conditions.
The third myth is that anti-inflammatory diets prevent disease by suppressing inflammation.
There is no denying that some diets are healthier than others, but it is not necessarily known if the benefits are directly tied to reducing inflammation.
That said, switching from a diet that can promote inflammation, like the typical Western diet, can improve health and reduce the risk for disease.
An “anti-inflammatory diet,” like the Mediterranean diet, is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and even dementia risk. Highly nutritious diets are far superior to those high in processed foods and “empty” calories.
You also cannot eat inflammation away entirely – nor would you want to. If you completely shut off any form of inflammation, you wouldn’t have the tools to fight off deadly infections or respond to allergens or toxins.
Try to keep inflammation levels in check by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, diet, and keeping up with regular doctors’ visits.